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Workshop: Rangewide Status and Research Needs for the Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens)


Organized by:   Reddish Egret Working Group
Contacts:   Stefani Melvin and Clay Green
Date & Time:   Monday, 2 October 2006, 9:00 - 17:00
Location:   Hotel Galeria Plaza Salon B, Veracruz, Mexico

Participants: This workshop is open to everyone interested in or currently working on conservation issues related to Reddish Egret.

Description: Very little is known about the ecology, distribution, population size, population status, or conservation needs for the Reddish Egret throughout its global range. At the Waterbird Society meeting in October 2005, a working group including scientists from Mexico and the US was formed to address these issues. As a first step, Texas State University and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have developed a Status Assessment for the species which compiles all available information from all regions of the species range. In addition, survey methods were proposed for a comprehensive rangewide survey to accommodate the development of global population size and status estimates. In the southeastern United States, it is believed that this species has been declining, however, surveys are not complete for all states. The reasons for the decline are unknown and likely differ among regions. Elsewhere in the range, population trends and colony locations are less well known. This workshop is intended to bring together scientists and conservationists to share information about Reddish Egret from all parts of the range, especially Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and South America. The workshop will consist of both presentations and group discussions which will culminate in the development of a research proposal for submission to various funding agencies. The proposed research project would include at minimum: a comprehensive rangewide survey of Reddish Egrets, documentation of the ratio of dark to light plumaged birds, development of color marking schemes for all parts of the range, methods for evaluating productivity of nesting pairs and comparing these data among regions, collection of genetic materials, and other aspects to be decided. Discussion of the objectives and components of this research project are welcomed! In the near future, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will be developing a Conservation Action Plan for Reddish Egrets. Information gathered at this workshop will be critical to forming objectives and action items for that plan.

Proposed agenda:

9:00 am   Introductions
9:30 am   Presentation of Status Assessment – Clay Green
10:30 am   Discussion of status assessment
11:00 am   Presentation - Héctor Quintanilla Herebia
11:30 am   Presentation - Eduardo Palacios Castro
12:00 Noon   Lunch
12:30 pm   Outline for Proposal – Stefani Melvin
2:00 pm   Proposal Development

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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